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Advocate to Update Community TV

October 4 Fall Workshop is a Legislative Day at the Capitol

Wisconsin Community Media is hosting its first-ever Legislative Day as part of its 2017 Fall Workshop at Madison CityChannel on Wednesday, October 4, 2017.

To encourage everyone who supports community television to attend, we have reduced the fee to register to $25 for all attendees, members and non-members alike.

Every person who attends is encouraged to meet with their legislators or their staff members. WCM is eager to help our members make appointments for October 4 between the hours of 10:45 a.m. and 2:15 p.m., but you can also just stop by legislative offices without an appointment. We will be helping everyone who participates to prepare for these meetings.

In the morning, we are pleased to announce that Rep. Gary Hebl (D - Sun Prairie) and Curt Witynski, Assistant Director of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities will be on a panel discussing "Effective Advocacy and Community Television." The morning program also includes a review of current state law and more detail about WCM's legislative priorities.

The day won't be all politics. Besides meeting with your legislator and talking about your media center and WCM's legislative priorities, we have set up tours of Madison CityChannel, WisconsinEye studios, and the Madison Public Library Media Lab. All of these facilities are located just a couple blocks from the capitol. We also plan to leave time for you to talk with other media centers in your WCM region. To see a complete agenda for the day, see the 2017 Fall Workshop Brochure.

Why have a Legislative Day this year? WCM is working with legislators to introduce legislation that would update the way community television is handled on cable television systems. We have three legislative priorities that are explained in our one-page Update Community TV summary:

Require video providers to include Community TV program listings in the Electronic Program Guide (EPG),

Require video providers to upgrade Community TV channels to HD (or similar) so they can be viewed with the same quality reception as other channels on the lineup, and

Provide local governments with the option to assess a 0.25% fee on the video portion of cable bills to raise funds for Community TV capital expenses.

Wisconsin Community Media invites you to contact Mary Cardona, Executive Director to learn more about our legislative priorities and the October 4 Fall Workshop and Legislative Day.

League of Wisconsin Municipalities and Former Fitchburg FACTv Director Receive Top 2017 Honors from Wisconsin Community Media

Wisconsin Community Media is honoring the League of Wisconsin Municipalities and Bonny Lundy, former director of the City of Fitchburg’s community television center with its top two 2017 honors. The awards will be presented during the Best of the Midwest Media Fest Banquet and Show in Milwaukee on April 6.

The League of Wisconsin Municipalities has been chosen as the 2017 Friend of Access in recognition of the league’s long-time support and recent groundbreaking collaboration with WCM that is bringing local issues to television through the league’s show, The Local Perspective. Bonny Lundy, who retired in 2013, is being inducted into the WCM Hall of Fame for her more than 30 years in the field of community television and work on the state level.

Shows that win are recognized with one of three awards. From the top they are “Excellence,” “Achievement,” and “Merit.” Of the 181 entrants this year, the judges awarded 34 Excellence Awards, 60 Achievement Awards, and 51 Merit Awards. Ten programs were named “Best in Show” in either the professional or amateur level of seven broad categories.

The fest is also recognizing the public access television series, Pleaz Take Da Stage, with a “Significant Community Program Award.” The Milwaukee public access television center, Mata Community Media, is honoring amateur community producer, Miz Shemmi Gyeez, to recognize the impact she has made with the long-running series. “Ms. Gyeez goes into the community and seeks out talented individuals in the hope of inspiring them with the attention the show provides. She gives them an insight into what is possible when they take advantage of their opportunities,” said Ma Vue, Program Coordinator.

Nearly 40 media centers enter the Media Fest!

WCM is pleased to announce that the Best of the Midwest Media Fest has attracted a record number of media centers --38!. The number of entries remained steady. WCM is so excited by the participation of so many media centers that we're posting the logos of every center that entered the fest below! If you click on a logo, you'll go straight to the center's website or Facebook page.

The Spring Conference and Media Fest Banquet and Show are coming! Soon the staff and community media producers from these centers will have an opportunity to get together at the annual WCM Spring Conference and Media Fest -- a conference we're tentatively calling "The Producer's Conference" due to its emphasis on video production, innovative distribution, and collaborations. Mark your calendars! The conference is April 6 and 7 in Milwaukee. The Media Fest Banquet and Show will be Thursday evening, April 6. More on the event soon. If you're an Exhibitor, Exhibitor Registration is now open.

For now, ENJOY learning about these great media centers!!! Thanks everyone!